A restaurant POS is an all-in-one point-of-sale system that manages orders, payments, inventory, employees and reports for a café, bistro or restaurant.
In Quebec in 2026, it will cost between $200 and $450 per month for a 30-seat facility, including transaction fees. At Geasy Pay, we help you choose the right POS. We’re convinced that Global Payments’ new Genius tool will become the benchmark for Quebec restaurateurs.
What is a restaurant POS (and how is it different from a cash register)?
A restaurant POS (point of sale) is a complete system that orchestrates your entire establishment: order taking, dispatch to the kitchen, collection, stock monitoring, sales reports, staff management, tax compliance. A traditional cash register simply records sales and prints receipts.
Three key differences:
- Full integration: the POS connects the hall, kitchen, backroom and sometimes your suppliers.
- Mobility: modern POS systems offer portable terminals for taking orders at the table. The cash register remains at the counter.
- Cloud: data is stored online and can be accessed remotely. A cash register stores everything locally, with all the attendant risks (breakdown, theft, forgotten backup).
In Quebec, since 2011, restaurants and bars have had to transmit their billing data to Revenu Québec via a Module d’enregistrement des ventes. Since 2023, the MEV-Web (a module without a physical box) has been mandatory. A modern restaurant POS integrates this compliance natively. Always check this point before signing.
How much will a restaurant POS cost in Quebec in 2026?
Three expense items add up: hardware, software subscription and transaction costs.
Equipment (purchase or rental)
- Basic package (1 tablet + 1 payment terminal): $300 to $800 to purchase, or $20 to $50/month to rent
- Countertop + hand-held terminal formula: $1,000 to $2,500 upfront, $50 to $120/month rental
- Multi-station (2 to 4 stations): $3,000 to $8,000 purchase price
Monthly software subscription
- Basic plan: $50 to $100/month
- Plan pro (inventory + advanced analysis + employee management): $100 to $200/month
- Multi-location plan: $200 to $400/month
Transaction fees
- Interac debit: $0.05 to $0.10 per transaction (fixed fee, regardless of amount)
- Credit card: 1.5% to 2.9% of amount
- Mobile wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay): rate aligned with credit
Average total monthly cost for a 30-seat Quebec restaurant: $200 to $450/month, including transaction fees.
⚠️ Beware of hidden fees: PCI compliance (up to $30/month), early termination fees ($200 to $500+), inactivity fees ($15 to $50/month for seasonal businesses), rate increases after the promotional period. These fees can easily double the actual bill.
→ Check out the 2026 Transaction Fee Barometer and our analysis of the true cost of a payment terminal.
7 criteria for choosing the right POS restaurant
Before signing, please check the following points:
1. Ease of use and staff training
A complicated SOP means time wasted every day, and a heavier turnover to train. Aim for an interface that a new employee can master in less than an hour.
2. Advance order management (pickup, delivery)
Since 2020, advance ordering has become standard in Quebec. Your POS must generate an online order URL, manage pick-up slots and automatically synchronize with the kitchen, without an external module doubling the bill.
3. Real-time inventory management
Low stock alerts, item-by-item tracking and automated reporting are essential for reducing shortages and losses. Without them, you’re managing by guesswork.
4. Detailed reports and analyses
Sales per day, per hour, per dish, per employee, week-on-week comparisons, month-on-month comparisons… This data transforms your purchasing, menu and planning decisions.
5. Multi-location and mobility
Even with a single establishment today, check that the system can handle 2, 3, 5 locations tomorrow. And that it offers a portable terminal for taking orders at the table or on the terrace.
6. Modern payments (NFC, Apple Pay, Google Pay)
Contactless payment now accounts for the majority of transactions in Quebec. Your POS must accept EMV chips, NFC, magnetic stripes and mobile wallets without additional fees or separate hardware.
7. MEV-Web and Revenu Québec compliance
Non-negotiable if you’re in the restaurant business. The POS must natively integrate the transmission of data to Revenu Québec, it’s an obligation.
Genius: the POS designed for Quebec cafés and bistros
Genius is the all-in-one point-of-sale system from Global Payments, one of the world’s largest payment processors and a long-standing player in Canada. At Geasy Pay, we’ve been deploying Genius to Quebec merchants since its arrival on the market, and today it’s our default recommendation for cafés and small bistros.
Two hardware formats, one interface
- Touch screen + payment terminal + receipt printer in one compact device
- Accepts EMV, contactless (NFC), magnetic stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay
- Integrated Wi-Fi + 4G connectivity (if Wi-Fi fails, cellular takes over)
- Up to 10 hours of autonomy, perfect for table service
- Responsive interface, secure real-time processing
- Large, bright 15.5″ touchscreen workstation
- Integrated connectivity pole to keep cables and wires hidden (clean countertop)
- Includes PAX A920 wireless payment terminal
- Compatible with receipt printers, cash drawers and barcode scanners
The user interface is shared between the two devices: your team learns from a single system.
What’s included in the installation (basic plan)
- All-card payment processing
- Tax tracking and reporting, MEV-Web compatible
- Acknowledgements by e-mail and SMS
- Virtual terminal (to cash a card over the phone)
- Digital billing
- Real-time data, reports and dashboards
Solutions Boutique: modules to be activated on demand
Genius works like an integrated application marketplace. You activate only what you need, as you grow:
- Inventory management (items, categories, low stock alerts)
- Advance orders (public URL, pick-up slots)
- Employee management (scheduling, permissions, time & attendance)
- Email marketing (templates, lists, campaigns)
- Reputation management (Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor centralized in a single tool)
- Competitive benchmarking
- Customer demographics
- Google Business profile and ads
Designed for small teams
Three things make all the difference in a café or bistro:
- Set-up in just a few days
- Intuitive interface: your employees can get up to speed with little or no training
- Real human support, no chatbot between you and the solution
As the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reminds us in its 2024 report: 84% of SMEs say that technology helps them to operate more efficiently. But that technology has to be easy to use… That’s exactly what Genius is all about.
3 concrete scenarios for using Genius in Quebec
Scenario 1: A neighborhood café (1 to 3 employees)
A 30 m² café in Rosemont or Limoilou doesn’t need 4 stations. A single Genius countertop terminal with its 15.5″ screen is all you need.
Typical configuration :
- Genius Basic Plan (payment processing + reports + virtual terminal + MEV-Web)
- Email marketing module to build customer loyalty (“Your favorite café is offering 10% this Friday”)
- Stock management module for coffee, milk and pastries (automatic alerts)
- Daily sales report e-mailed each evening
Estimated cost: $80 to $150/month, depending on transaction volume.
Scenario 2: A 30-seat bistro with table service
A small bistro on the Plateau-Mont-Royal needs to take orders at the table and offer lunchtime pickup for business customers.
Typical configuration :
- Counter terminal for main checkout
- PAX A920 hand-held terminal (one or two, depending on the server) for in-room order-taking
- Pre-order module activated: public URL with midday pick-up slots
- Employee management module for scheduling and permissions
- Analyses of sales by weekday and by dish to adjust the menu
Estimated cost: $180 to $350/month depending on volume and number of employees.
Scenario 3: A small multi-location group (2 to 3 sites)
A restaurateur opens a second location in Quebec City after proving himself in Montreal.
Typical configuration :
- Centralized Genius portal to manage both branches from a single screen
- Reports consolidatedor by location, depending on what you want to see
- Branch-independent inventory management with inter-location transfers
- Prices and discounts configurable by location (café au lait can be $4.50 in Montreal and $4.25 in Quebec City)
- Centralized management of users and authorizations (one manager per address)
Estimated cost: $300 to $500/month per location, with economies of scale on transaction costs.
Frequently asked questions about POS restaurant and Genius
How much will a restaurant POS cost in Quebec in 2026?
A restaurant POS in Quebec costs between $200 and $450/month on average for a 30-seat bistro, including transaction fees. Details: $50 to $200/month software subscription, $20 to $120/month hardware rental, plus 1.5% to 2.9% fee on each credit card transaction and $0.05 to $0.10 per Interac debit transaction. Hardware can also be purchased ($300 to $2,500 depending on configuration) to eliminate monthly rental.
What’s the difference between a restaurant POS and a cash register?
A restaurant POS is a complete system that manages order taking, cash collection, inventory, employees, reporting and tax compliance. A conventional cash register simply records sales and prints a receipt. The POS works in the cloud, on a handheld or touchscreen terminal; the cash register remains fixed to the counter. For a restaurant in Quebec, a POS integrated with MEV-Web is now almost mandatory.
What are the key criteria for choosing a POS restaurant?
Seven criteria to check: ease of use to quickly train staff, advance order management (pickup, delivery), real-time inventory management, rich reporting and analysis, multi-location and mobile compatibility, acceptance of modern payments (NFC, Apple Pay, Google Pay) and native compliance with Revenu Québec’s MEV-Web.
What makes Genius different from other POS for cafés and bistros?
Genius combines three advantages for small Quebec restaurateurs. First, unified hardware: PAX A920 handheld terminal and 15.5″ countertop terminal share the same interface. Secondly, a modular Solutions Boutique where you activate only the modules you need (inventory, pre-ordering, marketing, reputation management). Finally, the solidity of a large processor (Global Payments) with local human support via Geasy Pay.
Is Genius right for a small café with just one employee?
Yes, the basic Genius plan includes payment processing, real-time reporting, virtual terminal, digital billing and MEV-Web compliance – everything a one- to three-person café needs. A single countertop terminal with 15.5″ touchscreen is all you need. Advanced modules (employee management, advance orders, e-mail marketing) can be activated later, on demand, as the need arises.
How quickly can you get started with Genius?
Days, not weeks. Genius setup is designed to be fast: simple installation, intuitive interface, minimal training. At Geasy Pay, we take care of the initial set-up (items, taxes, MEV-Web, printers, cash drawers) and train your team in a single session. You can typically sell with Genius within 3 to 5 business days of hardware delivery.
Is Genius compatible with Revenu Québec’s MEV-Web?
Yes, Genius natively integrates tax tracking and reporting, and is compatible with Revenu Québec’s MEV-Web. For Quebec restaurants and bars, this integration is essential – billing data transmission to Revenu Québec must be automatic, not cobbled together. No external software or additional costs are required.
At Geasy Pay, we are the official Genius reseller for Quebec. We could have written a marketing article saying that Genius is perfect for everyone. Instead, we wanted to give you the real criteria for choosing a restaurant POS and present Genius honestly, with its strengths for small teams.
If you run a café, bistro or small restaurant in Quebec and are evaluating a POS, take the time to compare the 7 criteria above. In most cases, Genius ticks all the boxes. We offer you a free demo of Genius, adapted to your type of establishment, with no obligation. And if you already have a POS but the bill seems inflated, we’ll analyze your current situation before suggesting anything.